1. Technical Field
This invention relates in general to meeting scheduling, and more particularly, to methods for generating alternative meeting schedules when desired meeting parameters cannot be met.
2. Background Art
Scheduling of meetings has always been fraught with problems. This is particularly the case when one scheduling a meeting, or meeting scheduler, has no management or other control over those whose attendance is either desired or necessary.
The prior art initially eased the scheduling burden in that keyboard/display terminal users' schedules were stored in varying calendar forms, and all could be available for call-up at each terminal. These schedules could be called and scanned to determine common available times. This was extremely time consuming if schedules were only available in narrative form on a day-at-a-time basis. Even when monthly abbreviated schedules or calendars were available for call-up, mental or pencil and paper notation of available times was both error-prone and no minor chore.
The prior art has now gone further in solving the above noted problems. Calendar application programs, stored in a host computer to which the terminal users are connected, are able to read calendars of prospective attendees and provide a listing of available meeting times and dates. The available times and dates are derived from date and time ranges provided by the scheduler. From this listing, a meeting scheduler can select a suitable time and date. After making a selection, and either writing down or making a mental note of the suitable time and date, the meeting scheduler can key and transmit a message to each attendee. These systems still require excessive keying in terms of rekeying attendees' names, and a meeting time and date.
More recently, a technique has been developed which presents available meeting times and dates to a meeting scheduler as an option screen. The option screen is then keyed in order to select a time and date for the meeting. When utilizing this technique, a notification screen is presented to the scheduler after selection from the option screen. The scheduler then keys into the notification screen filling in the purpose and location of the meeting and, if appropriate, shortening the duration of the meeting. Upon completing the notification screen, the screen is then transmitted to notify all attendees of the meeting. While this system represents an advance in time savings, error reduction, and reduced keying requirements, it does not address the problem which occurs when a meeting time cannot be determined which complies with all of the required parameters as determined by the scheduler.
Therefore, it should be apparent that a need exists for a meeting scheduling method which will accommodate situations in which all of the desired meeting parameters cannot be met.